State of Mind
by StormAshke
Summary: Will a shadow from the past destroy Rick and Lisa's future together? This is the direct sequel to You Think You Know Someone. It's recommended to read that one first just to get a feel for what's going on! R and R please!


Disclaimer: Don't own them. Would love to…but nope…not mine. This is in response to all those who asked for a sequel to You Think You Know Someone. Keep in mind how you all felt when you watched Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back…and don't kill the author!

DW: Get back over here and save me!!! :D

_**STATE OF MIND**_

_Why was the street so deserted?_

It was only a little past nine in the evening. Well, the reason didn't matter but Monument seemed to have rolled up its sidewalks early tonight. It was eerie in its own way. As she made her way home from a long day at Central Command, all she could think of was getting home to her family. She wondered if little Roy would still be awake. Claudia's son was such a joy and she knew it would cheer her up immensely just to hold the baby.

With a start, she noticed another sound. Footfalls tapped out a steady rhythm behind her. The night was so quiet she could clearly hear them as they gained on her. Her heart hammered in her chest and she wondered why so ordinary a sound was scaring her so badly. Trying to seem as casual as possible, she hurried her steps and heard the sound behind her speed up as well.

She felt the dark presence behind her and knew that whatever it was, it was gaining on her. It would only be a moment before it caught up to her. Abandoning caution, Lisa broke into a run. As she turned a corner, something caught her and pushed into the brick wall of a building as large hands closed around her throat. Maniacal brown eyes burned into terrified green ones and a voice spoke.

"Hi, darling. Aren't you glad to see me?"

* * *

Lisa Hayes woke screaming and fighting for her life. Someone was holding her tightly and she fought like a hellcat to get free.

"Lisa! It's ok! You were dreaming. Honey, it's Rick!" Rick struggled to contain Lisa before she could hurt herself or him. It was really difficult to restrain a military-trained hand-to-hand fighter without any kind of physical damage. It wasn't the first time in the past six months that she had had these nightmares. It never seemed to get any easier and the longer Karl Riber was out there, the worse the dreams became.

The words penetrated the cloud of fear and desperation that had fogged over Lisa's brain and she realized where she was. She sagged against Rick's chest and felt his arms enclose her gently, holding her lightly. She buried her head in his chest and wept as he gently rubbed her back.

"It's ok, Bright Eyes. You're here and safe. Just a dream, only a dream," Rick said soothingly and felt her trembling begin to subside. He drew back to look into her shadowed eyes.

"Is it the same dream?" She had told him all about the dreams that came with a disturbing regularity and all the variations of them.

Lisa nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak yet. A moment later, they looked up in surprise as their bedroom door opened and Claudia came in with a tray.

"Hi guys, thought you might be able to use this about now." Claudia gestured with her chin at the laden tray she carried to their bedside. Handing them each a cup of chamomile tea, she tried to smile encouragingly at the pair.

Rick's tired eyes expressed his gratitude, 'I'm sorry we woke you, Claudia."

"Oh, think nothing of it. I just got little Roy back to sleep and I was making some tea for myself. No trouble for a few more cups. Lisa, honey, are you alright?"

Lisa raised her tear-stained face and tried to smile but ended up with more of a grimace. "I'll be ok. Did I wake the baby? I'm so sorry," she began but was cut off when Claudia interrupted.

"Enough of that! Little Roy was awake because apparently he has a cavern instead of a belly and he was hungry. It had nothing to do with this. Now, you two, finish your tea. You both have the early shift tomorrow and Rick, aren't you, Max and Mirya taking that new squad out on maneuvers tomorrow? You need to get some rest!" Claudia scolded, leaning forward to hug Lisa and kiss Rick's cheek, and then she left closing the door quietly behind her.

Rick rubbed his tired eyes and shifted positions on the bed. Lisa got up out of bed to stare out of the window. He watched her for a full five minutes before he decided to join her and hopefully persuade her to come back to bed. He felt her jump as he slipped his arms around her and pulled her back into his chest.

Quietly, as if she wasn't sure she wanted him to hear her she spoke, "He's still out there, Rick. I keep telling myself that he's not dangerous, that you and Claudia scared him off. During the day, I can rationalize it and I know that he would have to be beyond insane to try something. At night, though, when I sleep, I see his eyes and I'm afraid."

Rick felt her fear like a hammer blow to his chest. It had taken him so long to see how much he loved this beautiful, precious woman that any intimation that he might lose her caused his muscles to tighten like bowstrings and his stomach to clench and churn.

_I won't lose her. I will keep my family safe!_

"It's going to be ok. If he tries anything, you'll be ready for him. And so will I and all of our friends. The only reason he got you into that position in the first place was that he surprised you. And still you almost fought him off. Lisa, you're a strong, intelligent, powerful woman and I am not going to let anything take you away from me. Not now that I finally have you!"

She heard the fierce protectiveness in his voice and knew that he believed everything he had just told her. Even six months later, it still surprised her how much Rick Hunter loved her.

Turning in his arms, she reached up and kissed him passionately, with everything she had.

"I love you," she whispered intensely, when their kiss ended.

"I love you too. Now come to bed so I can get some sleep. You know I can't sleep unless you're with me now." It was true, over the last six months, since they had reunited in the aftermath of the "Riber affair", he had found that nights spent away from Lisa meant nights of insomnia. She liked to joke that she was better than any kind of sleep medication because he would invariably cuddle up to her and be asleep within minutes.

A tired but real smile graced her face as he led her back to bed. She wondered if he knew that the same held true for her. When he was away, or if she had to travel, she always went to bed wearing one of his shirts. It was the only thing that helped her to rest when he wasn't home.

* * *

He was a ghost. He moved through the crowd like smoke and vapor. Oh, he was real enough. Flesh and blood, this was true. But there was something about him that made people feel a chill when he passed by. Mothers would take their children's hands and pull them close to their sides. Later, if pressed, those that he passed would not be able to explain what had caused their uneasiness. After all, he was an ordinary-looking, youngish man. He had no features that would stand out to any one person. He was thin and he was tall. Generic, is what one woman would have described him as. Ordinary, would be another's view.

It was only if you were unfortunate enough to meet his eyes that you realized you were in the presence of something truly frightening. Very few ever met his eyes and Karl Riber liked it that way.

Today, he was shopping and looking for specific merchandise. He spread his purchases around so as not to give rise to any kind of suspicions. It wouldn't do for any of these people to try to contact the authorities. It wouldn't do at all. With a slightly feral twist of his lips that could possibly be considered a smile, he walked into the electronics store.

"Good afternoon, sir, may I help you?" The young sales associate was pretty enough in her own way. Light brown hair, about shoulder length. Slightly taller than was his preference and dammit, her eyes were brown. Having dismissed her as just another sheep in the flock, he spoke, "Yes, I need to see Damien. Tell him Michael Rivers is here, please." Unfortunately, in his current position aliases were a must. The real Michael Rivers had been a close enough physical match to Karl to be of use. It was also a boon to find that Mr. Rivers was also financially solvent. And now Karl was Mr. Rivers.

Like so many in this new society, Michael Rivers had had no family and no extraordinary commitments. It had made killing him and assuming his identity seem more like mercy than murder.

"Of course, Mr. Rivers, he's expecting you!" The woman hurried away from the counter and did not return. A moment later, Damien approached him with a broad salesmen's smile and his hand extended.

Karl ignored his hand and his greeting. "My time is valuable; do you have the items we discussed?"

"Of course, of course! Please follow me to the back and you can see what I have been able to procure for you!" Damien Starks referred to himself as a self-made man and in this time of war and struggle he profited. If what he did was not entirely legal, well, who decided what was right and wrong these days anyways?

Karl was led to the back room and he surveyed several of the items that had been laid out for his inspection. Damien watched as the young man coolly examined the merchandise that had been set up. He never thought to ask what his clientele was using his services for but he didn't even need to consider the question in this case. Surveillance and tracking, what else did one use infrared cameras and thermal imaging devices for?

"Twenty-five thousand for the lot, Damien." Karl did not deign to look at the other man as he checked the action of a high telephoto lens on a camera.

Damien opened his mouth to haggle when Mr. Rivers' head snapped around to look at him. With an audible click, his jaws clamped together.

"Of course, that's quite reasonable!" Damien felt the sweat break out on the back of his neck.

Slowly, Karl turned away and said, "Good, have it delivered to the address on my card. No later than by seven tonight."

Without waiting for an answer, he strode through the store and back out on the street.

* * *

Max watched as Rick took the lead position in their formation. Closely on the other side was Mirya. Today, they were teaching Silver Squad some of the more advanced maneuvers required in aerial dog fighting.

"Ok, Max. I'm going to take them down the right hand side and try to split them up. If they break off, Max follow down on my right. Mirya break high and left. If they run, it's their pattern to go high."

"You got it, Skipper!" Max saw Skull One hit its afterburners and shoot forward towards the new pilots. A moment later, he heard Rick chuckle as their target's formation broke in confusion. Max brought Skull Two along Rick's right chasing one of the "cannon fodder" planes. Whichever of the young people was piloting was doing ok but they weren't likely to outfly Skull Wing in any hurry. He lined up the Veritech in his sights and let loose the "killing shot". Today, the Veritechs had been outfitted with special laser lights and sensors so that they could practice actual dog fighting without killing each other. Over the comm. net he heard the pilot swear inventively.

"Settle down, Karen. It takes practice. You're doing very well!" Max always felt the need to encourage the pilots during these games. Rick was an excellent commander but occasionally he liked to torture the younger pilots. Max knew that Rick couldn't afford to appear soft on the young pilots; That was a job for his second in command. He claimed it was a holdover from the days when Roy Fokker commanded the Skull. Roy had always told Rick that experience was the best teacher, so where Rick had very little sympathy in mock battles, Max always tried to encourage the pilots not to lose hope. It was one of the many reasons that Rick liked Skull Wing to actually fly the mock dog fights.

"Maximilian, I request assistance, I have two on my tail." Before her call was even finished, he was turning to come around to her aid. Apparently, Baker and Graham had lost track of Rick and decided to double-team Skull Three. Normally, two opponents were nothing for Mirya Sterling but this was a team-building exercise and it would be good to show how working together as a team would save you in this instance.

"On my way!" He shot through the sky and saw the fierce "dog fight" as the two recruits tried to line up Skull Three for the kill shot. He spared a moment to admire the aerial ballet as his wife led them on a dizzying chase until he dove in and broke their formation once again.

As Rick monitored the situation from the 12 o'clock relative position, he was proud of his team and the new squad. They were focused and they were working together. But it was time to make sure they didn't get cocky. With another evil laugh, Rick dove towards the fray. He went into Guardian mode and covered Max as Skull Two took out one of the other pilots. And a moment later, Rick had a confirmed kill on the final member of the Silver Squad.

"Nice job, all. Let's bring them home. Skull One has the lead."

Ten minutes later, all six pilots were on the ground and talking about the "battle".

"You showed some really nice maneuvers but you've got to learn some control. When you break formation you need to be in constant radio contact. Did you see how Commander Sterling called for assistance from Skull Two?" At their nods, Rick continued, "She knew where he was and that he could get to her faster than I could. Karen, you have to stop trying to win every battle alone. It's a team effort up there. You have to learn to rely on your wingmen."

The young blonde woman looked thoughtful and slightly rebellious, he thought.

"Sue, you've got a fine grasp of the technique and you fly by the book. We need to open you up to some new ideas. Imagination is key in a fight. Baker, all around good job, I'm impressed but don't get cocky! If this had been a real fight, any one of us could have taken all three of you out in a matter of moments. But that's what this is for. Practice. Ok, get some rest; you go back up tomorrow, against an unknown opponent. It could be one plane or twelve. Dismissed!"

When the teenagers were out of sight, Rick turned to Max and Mirya and grinned. "If they keep this up it won't be long before I put them on regular flight duty. What do you two think?"

They were travelling towards the officers' mess now. Hopefully, they would meet up with Lisa and Claudia for lunch.

"I think you are correct in your assessment of Karen Penn. She is not used to working in a team environment. It could be a major deficit in her flying, Rick." Typically, it was Mirya who spoke first.

"Oh, she'll get used to it! It's Sue that I'm concerned about, fly too long by the book and you won't be flying long at all," said the ever optimistic Max.

Rick took in their opinions and tossed out his own concerns, "Baker worries me. Just because he flies well against his peers, he thinks he knows all we have to teach." They were taking their usual table in the mess hall and Rick was disappointed that Lisa wasn't there. There was no sign of Claudia, either.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, Skipper. But let's not talk about that now. Hey, would you three like to come by for dinner tonight? It's been ages since we all got together!" Max offered.

Rick thought about it for a moment and decided against it. "Gee, guys, I'd love to but I think we'd better take a rain check. Lisa had another bad night last night and I think I should keep it a little low key tonight."

Max was concerned. "Damn, Rick, is she ok?"

"I have noticed that Lisa seems to be quite preoccupied lately. When she, Claudia, Jean and I went out yesterday she was hopping at shadows."

Rick choked on his soda and saw Max covering his mouth with his hand to hide his own smile. "I think you mean jumping at shadows, honey. But what do you mean?"

Mirya ignored Rick's reaction to her verbal slip. The truth was it happened so often she barely noticed it anymore. "Just that she was very aware of what going on around her. She seemed nervous and uncomfortable. She did not seem like herself."

Rick was even more concerned now. He didn't realize it had gotten quite this bad. "Hey guys, if you don't mind I'm going to take off. I want to see if I can surprise Lisa. My bet is she doesn't even realize it's lunch time."

A few moments later he was walking down the corridor that held the offices for the senior staff. He even had an office here, although he never used it.

Rick nodded at Lisa's aide, who simply smiled and waved him in. It was hardly the first time in these last few months when he would come to visit the Admiral. He walked through the door and saw that Lisa was on the phone. She smiled when she saw him and held up one finger, asking him to wait.

Rick took a seat and listened as the Admiral began to strong-arm someone from logistics. He admired her ability to cut through the military red tape and get the soldiers what they needed, when they needed it. She always told him she had learned from the best. When she first said that, he always thought she meant her father but later he learned that it was from Gloval that she had learned how to command so well.

"Sorry about that, Rick." Her voice cut across his thoughts, bringing him back from his musings on the lost Admiral.

"Hey, it's no problem. I just came up to see if you were going to come down to lunch. I missed you."

"I'd love to but I'm really swamped. It's been hell on earth trying to get Maistroff to release the supplies. I swear that man was put here just to test me," Lisa said regretfully. She saw his eyes flash disappointment and frustration.

"Ok, I understand you need to work but you've gotta eat. What if I have them send you up a tray, or I can order something out and have it delivered," he offered.

"Rick! I'm old enough to get something to eat by myself, stop pushing!" she snapped and instantly regretted it when she saw the hurt pass through his baby blue eyes.

He felt as if she had slapped him and he didn't know what to say. After a moment, he got up and saluted her, "Of course, Admiral." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and moved to the door. His hand had just closed over the handle when he felt her arms circle his waist.

_The woman moves like a cat, with barely a sound!_

"I'm sorry, please don't go," she whispered as she leaned into his back. She felt the muscles in his back relax as he turned around and held her.

"What was that about? You haven't snapped like that at me in awhile," Rick looked down into dark green eyes and saw how tired she was.

"I was going to wait to tell you and Claudia about it tonight but since you're here…" She trailed off as she walked back to her desk and held out a plain white envelope for him to take.

"What's this, fan mail?" Rick joked, as he opened the envelope and several color photos fell into his hand. They were all pictures of Lisa: Lisa shopping with the girls; Lisa arriving to work in the morning; Lisa drinking coffee in the officers' mess; and Lisa walking home.

Rick felt his jaw drop as the implications began to sink in. He was speechless and looked up to find Lisa watching him from behind her desk.

"They were delivered today. Michelle received them in her morning correspondence," Lisa said, biting her bottom lip. "I've looked over all the security footage and all it shows is a man in a set of blue work coveralls. We never see his face or really much of anything."

Rick sat there, going through the pictures one more time. As Lisa watched she said, "Rick, you know what this means as well as I do. He's back. Karl Riber is back and this is just him saying hello."

Rick could say nothing to dispute what she said. Instead, he got up and held Lisa tightly. They were both trembling.

* * *

That night over dinner, they told Claudia what had happened and her reaction was much the same as Rick's and now they were discussing what precautions needed to be taken.

"I think it's a wise idea to get the alarm system put in and I really do wish you'd let us assign a security detail to you, honey," Claudia said as she held little Roy, who was squirming mightily.

"Here, let me," Rick offered, taking the baby and trying to feed him a bottle. It amazed him how someone so little could have such a large personality. Little Roy was a perfect blend of both of his parents and Rick always felt so blessed to have a part of his Big Brother in his life again. "I think she's right about the security, Lisa. I know I'd feel better."

Lisa was doing the dishes and she smiled at the sight of Rick holding the baby. The man was in love with the infant for certain. Not for the first time, she thought of how good a father he would be, and as usual she felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought.

"We don't have the men to spare! I can hear Maistroff now," she snorted derisively. "Admiral Hayes is wasting taxpayer funds on a private detail for a minor personal issue! What kind of message does this send to the public, when our top ranking official feels she can't even get home by herself any more?" She mimicked Maistroff's annoying tones and saw Claudia grin and Rick smirk, despite the situation.

"Ok, I can see your point but I want you protected!" Rick had seen Lisa's glance and loved the soft smile she had bestowed on him.

"Rick! You've said yourself that the only reason he was able to do what he did last time was because I was unprepared. So I won't be unprepared!" At his doubting look, she turned to Claudia. "Claudia, you can give me a refresher course in physical combat, right? And really, you two, when am I ever really alone? If I'm not with one or both of you, then I'm on the base! Believe me, I'm not taking this lightly but I can't let it take over my life either."

Claudia covered her face with her hand and peeked out from between her fingers. "Fine, I'll book us a mat and some time at Command's gym. But I swear Lisa; if these _threats_ escalate then I want you to get the security detail! Deal?" Lisa smiled triumphantly while Rick nodded grudgingly.

"Good, case closed! On that note, flyboy, you have spit-up on your shirt."

Claudia and Lisa had a good chuckle as Rick swore and little Roy chose that exact moment to smile innocently up at his uncle.

* * *

The next morning, Lisa sat nervously waiting for her next appointment. She didn't have to wait long as Jean Grant sailed into her office without bothering to knock and sprawled out on one of the two small couches in the office.

Lisa felt her lips twitch into a half-smile, "Comfortable? Anything I can get for you? Bottle of water? Tea?"

Jean pretended to consider it and then said, "No thanks, this is fine. Now tell me, why the hush appointment and why did you insist on my bringing a med kit up here?"

"Because I need you to draw some blood and run a few tests as quickly and quietly as you can."

The tone of the Admiral's voice knocked all thoughts of playfulness and teasing right out of the young doctor. "Lisa! What's wrong? What are your symptoms?"

Lisa watched in fascination as the transformation from teasing friend to caring and professional physician took place. Jean Grant was an amazing woman, much like her sister-in-law.

"Let's see, I don't have much of an appetite, because I'm nauseous. I'm exhausted and not sleeping very well. When I do sleep I have really vivid dreams, well, nightmares really and I'm late."

Lisa was amused to see just how pale Jean could get. The woman's jaw hit the floor and her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "Late? Late as in _late_? You mean like laaaate or just late?"

Lisa had to giggle. "Is that how you conduct an examination? It's a wonder you ever find out what's wrong! And to answer your question, I'm about a week late."

"Well, hell, Admiral! Let's see if there's going to be a little Admiral running around! Roll up your sleeve."

Ten minutes later and Jean was on her way to the lab to run all the tests that would be necessary. It didn't matter, Lisa already knew the answer.

She was pregnant with Rick's child.

* * *

Early that same morning, Karl Riber clocked in at his day job. He was in his uniform of maintenance coveralls and a nondescript blue cap. He had his hair pulled under the cap and wore thick glasses to hide his eyes. He walked slowly and with a stiff left leg. Maybe not the best disguise he could come up with but it was definitely an improvement over being himself.

"Hey, Tom! We've got a situation in the conference room. Their video screens are down and Admiral Hayes has an afternoon meeting. Do ya think you could take a look?"

Karl tried to control the roar of exultation he was feeling. "Sure thing, Mr. McCaffrey! You bet, why I'll have it fixed in no time. Yes, sir!" Karl groaned inwardly during this simpering performance and reminded himself that this is exactly how his current persona would behave.

"I like you, Tom. You keep up the good work and eager attitude and I'm sure we can look into a raise or something." His foreman was a bear of a man, slightly taller than Karl, and he was physically imposing. Karl was not intimidated. He had yet to find anyone in the RDF forces that could match his pure intellect. He knew he wouldn't be caught.

Two hours later, Karl moved up to the Admiral's conference room and began to tinker with the video screens. The problem was simple, of course: Crossed wiring and insulation that was heating up as a result. Very minor indeed. He had it sorted in only a few moments, leaving him the opportunity to install one of his "fish eye" lenses. Now he would know what happened here. His finishing touch was to install another audio device and set it to record. It amused him that he would soon know all about whatever the top brass deemed important. He stiffened as he heard voices coming up the hall and entering the room behind him. Typically, they took no notice of him. No one ever noticed maintenance personnel which, of course, made it perfect for him.

"Oh, Lisa! How wonderful! Have you told him yet?" Claudia's voice was filled with happiness and she was almost in tears. "Has Jean been able to get the results yet?"

"No, I just had the test done this morning, but honestly, I can feel the difference. I know that it's true." Lisa moved to take her position at the head of the table and that was when she noticed they weren't alone. With a quick hand signal to Claudia, she cut off this conversation and prepared to get settled in for another long round of meetings with Supply and Logistics.

Lisa suddenly felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and she had the irrational thought that she was being watched. Quickly, she looked up and met a set of dark eyes hidden behind large lenses from across the room. She felt the blood drain from her face and her legs go weak. Claudia must have realized that something was wrong because she took Lisa by the arm.

"What is it, honey?" she asked anxiously.

Lisa turned her head to look at Claudia and when she looked back, the person she was looking at was gone.

"I…it…it's nothing, Claudia. Must just be my imagination working over time with everything that's going on. But I thought I saw Karl."

Claudia stood quickly and went to the door to check the hallway. It was deserted and there was no sign of anyone.

"There's no one here now, baby. I know you haven't been sleeping well, do you think you could have imagined it?" Claudia voice was skeptical. Lisa was not in the habit of seeing things.

Lisa rubbed a hand across her tired eyes, "I don't know, Claudia. Anything's possible, I suppose. But I really thought he was there."

Her statement was cut off as the rest of the officers filed in for the weekly conference meeting. She tried to drag her attention back to the situation at hand and put all thoughts of Karl from her mind.

Easier said than done.

* * *

Later that evening, Karl sat in Michael Rivers' lavish apartment and listened to the recordings his various devices had made during the day. He was paging through several stacks of candid photographs, pondering over the exchange that his Lisa had had with that irritating woman upon entering the conference room. For some reason, its meaning escaped him.

He wondered exactly what his next move should be. Perhaps more pictures? He had his visual equipment set to auto-shoot when he was not in attendance. It made it possible that should his cover ever be compromised, he would have plausible deniability regarding the surveillance. It was his habit in the evenings to review the day's wealth of audio files and photos. He would develop the photos himself in an improvised darkroom. All in all, it was a very satisfactory arrangement.

Distantly, he heard the ding from the timer in the darkroom. He went to fetch last evening's photos from the development bath. As soon as he began to leaf through the shots, he began to see red.

_How dare she?_

He ground his teeth and barely noticed when the plastic tongs in his hand shattered, cutting his palm. The photos were of Lisa at home and these particular shots showed her in her bedroom. She was with that pilot and she was making love to him.

_His Lisa. _

_His fiancé._

Who did that young pup think he was? Lisa belonged to him. Yes, it was definitely time for another message.

Karl Riber exerted an iron control over his rage and harnessed it for his purposes. Soon enough Lisa would be with him as she was supposed to be. And this…Rick…well, piloting was a very dangerous profession. Very dangerous indeed.

* * *

As Karl Riber was tending his wounds not ten miles away, Lisa was just getting off the phone with Jean Grant. It was official now. She was pregnant.

"Oh honey, I know that look," Claudia chuckled and embraced her dearest friend.

"She says I'm about a month along," Lisa whispered, her eyes shining with joy.

"Ok, that does it, little Roy and I are going out for the evening. You and Rick should have some privacy for this!" She cut Lisa off by wagging her finger at her. "Don't start, Lisa! You just go get ready. He should be home shortly and you've gotta tell him that he's going to be a daddy." Claudia would later remember thinking just how pretty Lisa looked at that moment with the soft glow of complete happiness about her. She hugged her friend again and went to fetch her son.

* * *

Rick arrived home and was struck immediately by the complete and utter silence. Usually, his home was a bustle of activity, but not tonight. The living room lights were down low and there was no one in the kitchen, either.

"Hey everyone, I'm home!" He hung his coat up in the closet, knowing that if he left it on the chair again Claudia would make good her threat of cutting the sleeves off until he "learned how to pick up after himself". He felt someone slip her arms around his waist and thought again of how quietly Lisa could move.

"You'd better be careful, my girlfriend will be home any minute," he joked, turning and pulling Lisa into his arms.

"Hmmm, you'd better hope that was a joke, Mister. Or do you like three-week long patrols?" Lisa snuggled her head into his shoulder as he laughed.

"Boy, never fight with a woman who holds all the cards!" For the first time, he realized Lisa was wearing her hair down and was wearing the shimmering silver dress he adored her in. "Wow, you look even more beautiful than usual. What's the occasion?"

"Why don't you come sit down and we'll have something to eat. I'll tell you over dinner, hotshot." Lisa led Rick to the table and the couple proceeded with dinner.

"Where's Claudia, and little Roy? I was thinking of taking the little guy out to the hangar with me this weekend. It's never too early for him to start taking an interest."

_He's incorrigible!_

"Rick! He's seven months old!" Lisa watched as Rick grinned sheepishly.

"Rushing things again huh?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Just a little bit, flyboy. Give him a few more months. Speaking of a few more months…" Lisa trailed off, suddenly nervous.

"Yeah? What's in a few months?" Rick prompted as he continued with his meal.

"Little Roy will have a playmate." Lisa watched his reaction carefully. She saw his eyes go from confusion to disbelief, and then finally to a dawning and all-encompassing joy.

"Lisa, are you sure? It's for sure? You…we...us…a baby?" he stammered.

Lisa could only nod as Rick moved to her and pulled her up from her seat and into his embrace. He held her tightly, not saying anything until he heard her whisper, "Are you happy? Really, Rick?"

He pulled back to look down into her bright green eyes which held a hint of doubt and worry. "Absolutely, Bright Eyes, this is amazing! Thank you so much!"

She saw nothing but love and sincerity in his baby blue eyes. She felt her own misgivings dissolve under his caring regard and she snuggled back against his chest, holding tightly to him.

Later that evening, as they sat together on the couch, Rick felt Lisa dozing beside him. He knew she wasn't sleeping very well and wondered how much of that was due to being pregnant.

_Wow. I still can't believe it. A baby. Maybe even a son! Ha! Rick Junior._

Every time he let himself consider the reality of the situation, he felt an expanding bubble of joy in his chest. He was going to be a father. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he heard himself gasp out loud.

Lisa stirred beside him, her green eyes unfocused from sleep, searching for his. "What's wrong, Rick?"

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong at all. I was just thinking. I didn't mean to wake you, babe."

"What were you thinking?" she said curiously.

"Well, just that if we have a son, he'll be raised with little Roy. You know like…" He broke off, afraid that she would find him overly sentimental.

"Like you were raised with Roy?" She watched as he nodded. "I can't think of anything more fitting, Rick. Wouldn't that be something to see?"

"Yeah just think, I can teach them both how to fly and pull all the same stunts Roy and I did," Rick said, really warming up to his theme.

"Oh brother, I really am forced to wonder if this world could survive yet another Roy Fokker and Rick Hunter duo," Lisa wondered, burying her head in his chest as he let out a hearty laugh.

* * *

The next day, Lisa used her command privilege to take the day off and spent a lazy morning over tea and toast catching up on some reading. She had decided the RDF wasn't going to fall apart simply because the Admiral wasn't in the office one day out of the month.

Claudia was in the living room getting ready for the afternoon shift. Rick was going to be back later that evening, so Lisa was going to watch little Roy. The baby had been fussy the night before and as a result he was now sleeping peacefully in his crib in the nursery.

"Lisa, everything should be all set. I made up a few bottles and put them in the fridge on stand-by for you," Claudia winked. "He shouldn't wake up for a few hours. Jean said to just let him sleep. She thinks he was so fussy last night because he might have had the stomach bug."

"Ok, so bottles in the fridge, baby in the nursery, I think I can handle it!" Lisa teased Claudia. Occasionally, Roy Junior brought out his mother's overprotective streak, a fact that endlessly amused Lisa and Rick.

Claudia struck a pose and stuck out her tongue at Lisa. "Oh you just wait! We'll see how you are in a few months!"

Finally, Claudia was out the door and on her way to work. Lisa sat down on the living room couch and turned the baby monitor all the way up in case the baby should wake and need her. Her lack of sleep began to catch up to her and she felt herself sliding towards a nap of her own.

_I'll just rest for a few minutes. _

Two hours later, she woke to the sound of the phone ringing insistently in its cradle. Groggily, she got to her feet to answer.

"Admiral Hayes speaking," Lisa stifled a yawn.

"Good afternoon, my Lisa." Karl's calm, measured tones came over the line. Lisa felt her heart jackhammer in her chest. Even so, she tried to remain calm. She had no way of contacting anyone to initiate any kind of a trace on the line. Her best bet was to keep him talking and see if she could get him to slip up with any information on his whereabouts.

"Karl, why are you calling me?" she said, proud that her voice didn't shake when she spoke.

"What's wrong, dear? Don't you want to catch up with an old friend?" Karl could tell she was frightened and it pleased him immensely.

"It's a funny thing; really, I don't consider someone that tried to kill me to be a friend at all." Lisa gripped the receiver in her hand tightly as her eyes darted swiftly around the room.

"And yet you consider that irritating woman to be a friend? The one whose son you're currently watching? How long has it been since you've checked on the child, my Lisa? Why, do you even know if he's still snuggled into his crib? Oh, why do you look so panicked all of a sudden? Yes, darling. I can see you. Oh and I must say that for a child that boy is remarkably quiet. How does a child that young remain so…quiet, I wonder?"

Fear enveloped Lisa in a suffocating cocoon. She was prepared in some respects for the idea that Karl would try to come after her but, maybe naively, she had not considered the possibility that he would go after those she loved.

Her tenuous control broke as she screamed into the phone, "I swear Karl, if you've hurt that child…"

He cut her off with a low, sinister laugh. "Take care, my Lisa. I'll be seeing you soon. Oh and I've sent you a present. Check your doorstep." Lisa heard the final click as the circuit was disconnected.

With a speed greater than she ever thought she possessed, she ran into the nursery. Roy's crib was empty.

The baby was gone.

Terror stole her breath and threatened to overload her senses.

_Stop it Lisa! You have to think! What should I do now? Call the base! Get Rick and Claudia. Oh my god, Claudia! How can I tell her! _

Lisa ran back into the living room and was in the process of trying to dial the base and figure out how she was going to tell Claudia that her baby son was missing when the door opened.

Rick came in carrying the baby and a balloon. He had gotten the afternoon off to spend with Lisa and had come home to surprise her. He had found her on the couch sleeping peacefully. When the baby had awakened a half an hour later, he decided to take the child to the petting zoo across town to let Lisa get some rest.

Lisa paused in her frantic dialing and stood paralyzed for only a moment and then she flew at Rick, demanding to see the baby as she wept and slapped his chest.

"Give him to me, Rick! Where did you go? Why didn't you tell me?" Lisa was practically incoherent with relief as she the held the little boy against her chest.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down! You were asleep; I didn't want him to wake you so I took him out. I knew you hadn't been sleeping well! Lisa, honey, what's wrong?" Rick braved another round of stinging slaps to capture Lisa and pull her against him.

It took a half an hour and a cup of hot tea to calm Lisa down enough to tell him what had happened. Rick was torn between wanting to strangle Karl Riber with his bare hands and guilt at his own thoughtlessness. In trying to do something helpful, he had managed to scare Lisa badly.

For her part, Lisa sat on the couch and refused to let Rick put the baby back in the nursery. She had forgiven him for scaring her but she was still terribly afraid of Karl's implied threat.

Their doorbell rang and Rick moved to open the door cautiously. There on the mat was a plain white envelope. He could see no sign of the one who delivered it and after a moment, he carried the envelope into the house and sat beside Lisa on the couch.

"What the hell?" he gasped as what looked like confetti fluttered out of the envelope. Inside, there were several pictures of him and Lisa sharing passion. In each picture, Rick's head had been cut out. What he had taken as confetti were the missing pieces of the pictures. Each piece had Rick's eyes gouged out or it was blacked out with magic marker.

He and Lisa looked at each other, helpless, because what could be done against such a madman?

* * *

Later that evening, the Grants, Sterlings, and Claudia listened as Rick and Lisa relayed the tale of that afternoon. The baby was asleep and his bassinet in the living room. None of the adults were pleased about letting the infant out of their sight.

Max was furious, and for once his emotions overcame his natural gentleness. "That's it, Lisa. It's time for a security detail! What if he really did have the baby?" Few things in this world roused the fury of Max Sterling like the threat to an innocent child.

Jean looked at Lisa and the tension in her face and across her shoulders. "Besides, Lisa, all this stress isn't good for you right now! Not in your condition!" Jean blurted out and then could have kicked herself when all eyes turned to her.

Lisa smiled tiredly and nodded to Rick, who shrugged his shoulders and gestured for her to continue. "What Jean is trying to say with her usual subtlety and tact is that I'm pregnant."

There was a split second of complete silence and then the room exploded in cheers, backslapping and hearty congratulations. Lisa accepted kisses from Max and Vince, while Jean and Mirya hugged Rick. When the commotion died down, Lisa spoke again.

"I agree it's time for the surveillance. I can't let anything happen to any of you because of him."

"I'm glad you've finally come around Lisa, because I sorta already ordered it when Rick told me about the first round of pictures. They've been tailing you for two days," Max replied sheepishly. "Unfortunately, there was a snafu with the shift change and there were a few hours where the security detail had left you uncovered. Someone changed their orders."

Lisa shook her head but couldn't find it within herself to be angry with the blue-haired ace. He was only watching out for those that were important to him. She decided to simply be grateful for the friends and family she had.

The evening broke up with everyone agreeing to meet the next night at the Grants' for a celebratory dinner in honor of Rick and Lisa.

* * *

The next morning it was proven, inside the confines of the RDF at least, that rumor was faster than the speed of light. The entire Center Command was buzzing with the rumor that the Admiral was pregnant and it was this topic that occupied the members of Silver Squad as they made their way to the tarmac.

"Yep, you heard it right. He got the Admiral knocked up." Jack Baker strode confidently towards the tan Veritech that was his aircraft assignment. He hoped it wouldn't be for very much longer. He longed to fly one of the custom-specced planes of the Skull Squadron elite. He wondered what color he would paint it.

"Jack, you can really be so very crude!" Karen admonished. Sometimes she wondered why she flew with the young hothead at all.

"Well, I tell you if I was the Admiral I would be over the moon. Imagine having Captain Hunter's child," Sue spoke softly and with a touch of longing that wasn't lost on the other two members of her squad. It was common knowledge, among them at least, that Sue had a crush on Skull Leader.

Karen stopped in her tracks as she noticed one of the blue-suited maintenance men working on Skull One. That was odd, usually Commander Grant only allowed his particular crew to service the Skulls.

"Hey, look at that!" She pointed the oddity out to the rest of her team.

"Huh, guess Commander Grant called in some reinforcements." Jack shrugged it off. It wasn't all that odd for maintenance to lend a hand if the flight crews were short-handed.

Karen was unconvinced but just as she was about to press the issue, they heard their orders being issued over the PA.

"Time to get airborne, guys! See you in the air!" Jack called as he raced towards his plane.

* * *

Rick and the rest of Skull Wing were in the air flying more mock combat missions against the new recruits when the unexpected happened.

"What the hell? Max, I'm losing control! I'm getting no throttle response!" He realized that his comm. net was down and he had no way to call for help. Quickly, Rick reached and pulled down on the control to switch to Guardian mode.

Nothing happened.

Skull One was dropping in a flat spin. Gravity was doing its work and the ground was coming up fast.

_This can't be happening! Lisa…the baby!_

Flying on his wing, Max saw the moment when all power seemed to cut out from Rick's fighter. A moment later and his best friend was falling from the sky. Max saw Rick fire his maneuvering thrusters, trying to pull his plane out of the deadly forces that were bent on its destruction. It was no good. It looked as if Rick had no control whatsoever.

"Mayday, mayday! Skull One is going down! Request emergency personnel and crash teams to these coordinates. I say again, Skull Leader is going down!"

Max banked hard, following the wounded Veritech as it fell towards the unforgiving earth.

Meanwhile, the hangar was a hive of activity as Max's call was broadcast across the deck and emergency personnel swarmed the area. Rick was one of the heroes of the war and beyond that a well-liked and respected commander. Immediately, the members of Skull Squadron who had been on stand-by bolted to their planes. It took less than 30 seconds for 12 planes to take to the sky.

Mirya fell in on Max's left and she had the dubious distinction of seeing Rick trying to eject from his plane as system after system failed him.

"Max! He can't eject! He can't get out!" Mirya's voice was as close as Max had ever heard it to panic.

"Don't worry, I have an idea!" It was a matter of precision and split-second timing. It was crazy and insane and completely unorthodox. It was the only chance Rick had. Max noted the rest of his teammates flying hell for leather towards his position and put the call out.

* * *

Karl Riber had heard the rumor going around the base that Lisa was actually pregnant. He decided it was time to move forward with his plans. He heard the sound that he was waiting for as the alarm klaxons sounded the call for emergency personnel.

Moving quickly and abandoning all pretense of a limp, Karl moved towards the Admiral's office. A left hook and Lisa's aide was unconscious. Finally, he opened the door and was gratified when Lisa looked up and recognized him.

"Hello dear, did you miss me?" Karl leapt across the remaining space and pulled Lisa out of her chair and over her desk. "Do you hear those alarms? Those are for your pilot. He dies today, you know."

Lisa was struggling frantically, fear and anger warring inside her. What did he mean? What had he done to Rick? What was he going to do to her?

Karl struggled to pull the syringe from his pocket. Lisa was fighting like a hellcat possessed and it was taking all his will and strength to keep her under control. Finally, regaining a firm grip on her, he pressed the needle to her neck.

"Lisa, you should have known the only children you would ever have would be with me!"

Lisa fought the darkness with all her strength but whatever was in the syringe was more powerful than even her will. As she was dragged down towards unconsciousness she had only one final thought.

_Oh my god, not my baby!_

* * *

Rick was falling fast but somehow he knew Max was up to something. Max and Mirya were on either side of Skull One matching its vector and velocity. A moment later, he saw Silver Squad soar beneath him. And miraculously from the front of his canopy, he could see more Veritechs arriving on the scene.

Trapped with no way to communicate and no way to eject, Rick felt a flicker of hope.

* * *

Max positioned Silver Squad in Battleoid mode beneath Rick, still matching his speed. He and Mirya took up positions on either side of him in Guardian mode. A moment later and the members of the Skull, who were in the air also reconfigured, and took up positions either beneath Skull One or beside it.

"Ok, everyone. This is it! On my mark!" Max called out and prepared for the one and only attempt they would be able to make. They were five thousand feet above the ground. One chance. One shot.

"NOW!" Max roared and simultaneously directed his mecha to grab one of the disabled Veritech's wings as Mirya did the same. At the exact same moment, the planes stationed beside him grabbed hold of his Guardian around its relative "waist" and activated rear thrusters, attempting to provide strength and stabilization. The same thing was occurring simultaneously on Mirya's side. Beneath Skull One the Battleoids were attempting to stop the spin while keeping the plane level.

Max heard the screech of metal as the Guardian's huge fists held on for dear life. He watched his gauges for any sign that this insane plan was having an effect. Finally, he saw the altimeter begin to slow, the numbers finally stopping at 1498 feet.

At last, the last few Skull team members arrived on the scene to assist Skull One as they lowered it the remaining distance to the ground.

The astonishing rescue had taken only 4.5 minutes but it would live forever alongside the legend that was Max Sterling.

* * *

Karl had begun to make his exit from the base with Lisa stuffed into an oversized duffel bag, the type of thing a mere maintenance worker would use to carry large tools from one place to another with. He heard the commotion as the Veritech teams landed and ironically had a wonderful view as Rick Hunter emerged unscathed from Skull One.

For the first time, he felt fear as an icy trickle down his spine. Quickly placing his bag in the trunk he took off for the exit of the base.

He would not be denied, not this close to his goal!

* * *

Rick was being checked out in sick bay with Max and Mirya in close attendance when a second alarm klaxon sounded.

"What is going on around here?" he yelled as he strode to the phone to try to contact Lisa and see what was happening. It was odd, he thought, that she hadn't come down to see him yet. She must have heard about the malfunction and daring rescue.

"Michelle, I need to speak to the Admiral."

"Captain Hunter! She's been taken, sir! A man, he came in and before I could stop him, he hit me and knocked me out. When I came to, I realized the Admiral was gone!"

"What? How long ago? What man? What did he look like? Michelle, please!!!" Rick felt his heart freeze as he realized they might be too late.

"He was wearing a maintenance uniform, Captain, it all happened so fast. Maybe ten minutes?"

Rick hung up the phone and ran out the door with Max and Mirya hot on his heels. Following behind the Sterlings was Jean. He had only made it to the end of the corridor when he encountered Karen Penn. She was trying to get his attention. Angrily, he brushed her aside and continued on his way. She kept pace with him insisting on being heard.

"Captain! Captain please, you have to listen! We saw something this morning, Sir!" Karen's voice was insistent and finally when that had no effect, she grabbed Rick's arm and tugged.

Dangerous blue eyes met hers and she spoke before he could begin to berate her. "This morning, Sir, before maneuvers, I saw a maintenance worker with Skull One's main panel opened. I didn't think anything of it, Sir, until…" She trailed off as Rick's eyes grew large.

"Karen! If you saw him again would you know him?" Max called from behind her.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Rick, I'm taking Karen to Vince! Go! I'll let you know what we find!"

Rick nodded and took off with Jean and Mirya still following him.

* * *

Karl was cruising through several of the base checkpoints. He was humming happily to himself when he realized he only needed to make it through one more before he would be on the open road.

No one would catch him then.

* * *

Rick placed the order for the lockdown of the base and could only pray that they weren't too late. He commandeered a jeep and set out with Jean and Mirya in tow.

_I can't be too late, I won't lose her!_

As he made his way towards the main exits of the base, he felt himself turn to ice at the thought of losing his family.

* * *

"Commander, that's him!" Karen pointed to a personnel photo and Max felt his world spin out of control. Staring up at him were the eyes of Karl Riber.

Max sent out the order that "Tom McMannis" was to be detained. He was to be regarded as armed and extremely dangerous. He was to be held on suspicion of kidnapping and harassment and possibly murder.

* * *

Karl knew something was wrong when he wasn't simply waved through the checkpoint as he had been previously. Behind him, he could see there was some manned mecha in the form of the ground-based Destroids being ordered into a formation.

"It'll be just a moment, buddy, as soon as they lift this lockdown I'll get you outta here." The MP smiled just a touch too widely.

Karl smiled and reached into his pocket. "Hey orders are orders, am I right?" he said with his best "working man" attitude. He saw the MP grin in agreement. The man was still grinning a moment later when Karl shot him in the chest.

Backing up the car, he prepared to ram the gate at full speed.

* * *

Rick heard the call come over the jeep's radio.

"Shot's fired, shot's fired. We are getting no response from checkpoint Alpha Tango. I repeat, no response from Jim!"

Gritting his teeth, Rick jammed the accelerator to the floor and pulled a U-turn Roy would have been proud of. He sped off in the direction of the trouble praying with everything he had that he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Max ordered the Destroids to each of the checkpoints when he heard the call come in. Quickly, he grabbed Karen and the pair made their way towards checkpoint Alpha Tango.

_

* * *

Too far away!_

Rick saw the black sedan back up and start to gather power for a run at the gate. He was two hundred feet away. He would never make it in time.

_Lisa!_

* * *

Jack Baker and Sue Graham were making their way towards the hangar with the vague idea of patrolling from the sky.

"I have a better idea, Sue!" Jack had that gleam in his eyes that he got only when he was about to disobey orders. But for once, Sue wasn't going to berate him for it. She couldn't bear to think of the pain she would have endured if Captain Hunter hadn't been rescued. Whoever had done this to him needed to be caught!

Quickly, the pair mounted up in the nearest Destroids and made their way towards the checkpoint.

It was then they saw the fire from the muzzle as the MP was shot.

* * *

Max saw Rick driving like a maniac and realized what he was driving towards. He also realized they would all be too late. Once Riber broke through the gate, chances were good they would lose him.

A moment later, Max saw something he would never forget.

* * *

Moving as quickly as he could with the unfamiliar controls, Jack Baker pushed his mecha to the front of the checkpoint just as the black sedan roared forward. The resulting impact of the crash sent a vibration through his controls but it didn't stop the driver of the sedan. He was backing up to try to go around Jack's mecha.

The driver hadn't counted on Sue, however, and as she took her place beside Jack she effectively blocked off any escape route he might have had.

* * *

Rick saw the Destroid take up position at the gate and wanted to cheer like a madman. As he witnessed the crash, he realized in horror that Riber wasn't going to give up. That was when the second Destroid took up _its _position.

Beside him, he heard Mirya shout in exultation as Jean's fist shot up in victory.

Finally, Rick pulled up beside the smoking sedan. He jumped out of the jeep and ran to the car. Pulling an injured Riber from the car, he realized the back seat was empty.

"Where is she?" he screamed.

Riber looked up at the pilot who seemed to have nine lives and gave him a death's head grin.

"Wouldn't you like to know, flyboy?" Riber coughed and spat blood.

Rick lost control and began pummeling the madman as Jean yelled for him to stop and Mirya tried to pull him off.

* * *

Max arrived on the scene in time to see his best friend explode and begin pummeling the prisoner. Deciding that his wife could keep Rick from killing Riber for the moment, Max spied the trunk of the car. It was the only part of the car that hadn't sustained heavy damage. Pulling a crow bar from the jeep and getting Karen to help him, he set to work getting it open.

He prayed like he hadn't prayed since Dana was born.

_Please let Lisa be here. Please let her be ok!_

* * *

Rick was being held back by the incredible strength of Mirya Sterling. She held him tightly no matter how hard he fought to get free. Riber just stared up at him with that grin on his face and Rick felt himself sliding towards madness.

"Rick, beating him until he can tell us nothing will not help to save Lisa or your child! Listen to me, Rick!" Mirya pitched her voice so only he could hear it and after another minute, she felt him cease struggling against her. She loosened her hold but wasn't quite ready to let him go.

A moment later amid a screech of metal, she heard her mate's voice cry out triumphantly, "Rick! She's here! She's over here! I have her! Where's Jean!"

Rick heard the words and broke away from Mirya, pushing Max out of the way to lift Lisa from the trunk. She was unconscious, her head lolling bonelessly against his chest. He lowered her to the ground, still holding her against his chest.

"Oh god, oh please!" Rick wept and felt Jean push his hands away as she bent to examine the unconscious woman.

After a moment, Jean called for a stretcher. Lisa's vitals were fine, all except for her blood pressure which was dangerously low.

"Rick, we have to take her to the med center. Now, you can ride with me but let my people do their jobs, do ya hear me?" At his nod, she told her people to move.

Time meant everything now.

_

* * *

10 hours later_

The Sterlings, Claudia and little Roy, Vince and the members of Silver Squad kept watch in the waiting room of the medical trauma center on the base. Karl Riber had been taken into custody.

The group kept watch over a completely distraught Rick Hunter. There had been no real word from Jean's team as they fought to stabilize Lisa. Finally, an hour ago, Jean had come to tell Rick that they believed that Lisa would be just fine.

Lisa would be fine, though she was still unconscious, but the chemicals that Riber had used combined with the trauma that her body had gone through caused Lisa to lose the baby.

And still the group kept watch.

_

* * *

2 hours later_

"Rick, she's awake and asking for you. And I should tell you, she already knows." Jean's eyes were terribly sad. There had been no need to tell Lisa about the baby. Lisa had woken up, and in the instinctive way of a mother, had known immediately. There was emptiness inside her and now she just wanted Rick.

Rick made his way to where the woman he loved was propped up in a hospital bed. She looked drawn, pale and she was crying.

Rick took her in his arms carefully and as she wept so did he.

"I'm so sorry, Rick. It's all my fault. I should have…" Lisa broke off and began to sob in earnest. She had killed their baby. She felt Rick's arms tighten around her.

"No, Lisa. It's his fault. You hear me? There was nothing you could do!" Rick drew back and tilted her chin up so that she would meet his eyes. Mutely, she nodded as he sat there holding and rocking her.

A moment later, she whispered, "Jean says…she says there wasn't any lasting damage...I can still…" she broke off, unsure she wanted to proceed with her thought.

"I'm glad, because I want a family with you Lisa Hayes. I want a life and a future and I can't have any of it without you, do you understand me?" Rick asked fiercely.

Lisa nodded and snuggled against him, feeling enveloped by his love. Somehow, she knew, they would be ok. They were still together and it would be ok.

_

* * *

Three days later_

It was her second day home. Rick and Claudia were being extremely attentive, almost to the point of driving her to distraction. She was feeling better but knew it would be a long time before she was completely recovered from her loss. She and Rick talked about it a lot. And when talking didn't help, they would hold each other. Sometimes she would cry and she would feel Rick beside her wordlessly affirming his love. Other times, it would be him that woke in the night in tears. She would do her best to help him and it seemed to be enough.

Tonight, the three of them were playing board games in the kitchen. Rick had claimed that it was the guys against the girls and he had claimed little Roy as being on his team. Rick seemed pleased with his decision, even though the little boy kept trying to put the game pieces in his mouth, much to his mother's amusement and Rick's frustration.

"You know, Claudia it's not fair to try sabotage!" Rick said as once again he pried the brightly colored pieces out of his teammate's hands.

"Uh uh, flyboy, you picked the teams," Claudia replied, grinning.

"Yeah, Rick. I always told you your chauvinism was gonna get you in trouble," Lisa teased as the phone rang. "Hold that thought, handsome," she said as she answered the phone.

Claudia saw the color drain from Lisa's face and was at her side in an instant. It took Rick only a moment longer to reach her after putting the baby down.

Shocked green eyes met two sets of worried blue as Lisa said, "He's escaped."

A/N Don't kill me! If you all ask for it then Ill make this a trilogy. And if you want a trilogy I promise warm and fuzzies for Rick and Lisa! Let me know what you think! Just…put the pitchforks down first!


End file.
